Ahmed bin Hamed al Hamed explained

Honorific-Prefix:His Excellency Sheikh
Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed Bin Butti Al Hamed
Office:Personal Advisor to the head of state
1Blankname:Emir
1Namedata:Zayed bin Sultan Al NahyanKhalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Spouse:Sherina bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi
Birth Name:Ahmed bin Hamed bin Butti bin Khadem bin Nehayman Al Qubaisi
Blank1:House
Blank2:Father
Data2:Hamed bin Butti bin Khadem Bin Nehayman Al Qubaisi
Blank3:Mother
Data3:Sheikha Shamsa Al Suwaidi
Birth Date:1929
Birth Place:Abu Dhabi, Trucial States
Death Date:28 November 2012
Death Place:Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamed Al Hamed (1929 – 2012) was an Emirati royal and politician who served as first minister of information and tourism of the United Arab Emirates and was member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.[1]

Personal life

Sheikh Ahmed was born in 1929 in Abu Dhabi. He is maternal cousin to the country's founding president, Sheikh Zayed, and uncle to the president, Sheikh Khalifa.[1]

Contributions

Before the union of UAE, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed al Hamed was the head of Abu Dhabi labor department. He also headed the department of employers and employee and tourism affairs in Abu Dhabi.[2]

Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed al Hamed was the UAE's first Minister of Information and Tourism. Sheikh Ahmed was a member of the First Cabinet of Ministers which was created right after the union. Sheikh Ahmed is credited to be the pioneer of the media industry in UAE.[1] During Abu Dhabi's oil boom of the 1960s and 1970s, he was the man behind the management of the Government media.

Under Sheikh Ahmed's guidance, The National's Arabic-language sister paper, Al Ittihad, was launched in 1969. He was also responsible for the launch of Abu Dhabi television. He also established Abu Dhabi's first radio station and organised archaeological expeditions which found several artifacts now in Emirate's museums.[1]

He remained in his position as Minister of Information and Tourism, and later became Minister of Information and Culture, throughout the second, third and fourth Cabinets that were formed in the 1970s.[1] He is respected for preserving the culture, national and Islamic heritage at the time of change.[1]

Death

He died on November 28, 2012[3] in Abu Dhabi at the age of 83 and his body was buried at the Al Bateen Cemetery in Abu Dhabi after a long mourning. His body was kept at Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Mosque for the funeral which was attended by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Also paying their respects were Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak, Minister of Public Works. Joining the prayers were Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.[2] His body was buried in Al Bateen Cemetery in Abu Dhabi.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leaders pay final respects to UAE media pioneer Sheikh Ahmed. The National. 21 March 2019.
  2. Web site: Presidential Affairs Ministry mourns Ahmad's death. Gulfnews.com. 21 March 2019.
  3. Web site: In Pictures: Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamed Al Hamed 1929 - 2012. The National. 21 March 2019.